


Anniversary

by ThebanSacredBand



Category: Winter's Tale - Shakespeare
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, references to past canonical character death, timeskip period, vaguely witchy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:07:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22549063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThebanSacredBand/pseuds/ThebanSacredBand
Summary: People are stupid, really. They see Paulina go down a woodland path with food three times a day, and they never question where, or why, she is going.
Relationships: Hermione/Paulina (Winter's Tale)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 13
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [reine_des_corbeaux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/reine_des_corbeaux/gifts).



> Hope you enjoy!

People are stupid, really. They see Paulina go down a woodland path with food three times a day, and they never question where, or why, she is going.

Then again, they never even summoned a doctor upon her cry that Hermione was dead, so she shouldn’t be surprised.

She hadn’t been entirely lying. Hermione had certainly _looked_ dead. In fact, it had taken several years and all the spells and potions she could find to get her back up to the point where she could even stand alone. And all that while still serving Leontes directly for much of the day.

Well, by ‘serving’ she meant repeatedly telling him how awful he was. It was the best he deserved. But she couldn’t spend all her time at Hermione’s side, as she wished to be.

Today, however, she has all the time in the world.

Normally, she finds Hermione reading through a spell book, propped up in bed. She is still not quite strong enough to be up and around for a long period of time, but at least now she has strength enough to read. And read she does, working her way through Paulina’s books, learning everything she can about spellcraft and herbalism and witching.

Normally Hermione looks up when Paulina enters, her face splitting in a grin that matches Apollo for brightness. The smile fills Paulina’s heart each time she sees it.

Today, Hermione is propped up, staring into space. The deep grief that had been settled over the palace when Paulina left is settled even thicker over their small cottage in the woods.

Today, Hermione cannot raise a smile. Nor would Paulina expect her to.

Today is the anniversary of Mamillius’ death.

Leontes won’t see anyone. It’s the same every year. He lost the whole of his family on this day, and he wants to be alone. He will not eat, or drink.

Paulina doesn’t care. He deserves all the pain he gets.

It is his fault that her Hermione is suffering.

But the haze of pain that descends around the palace allows Paulina to get away to Hermione’s side without being suspected for being missing. She would not dream of letting Hermione be alone.

She is by Hermione’s side the instant she has locked the door behind her, wrapping her arms around her love and drawing her into her side. Hermione comes willingly, letting out a shaky sob that feels like she has been keeping everything in until Paulina arrives.

Paulina lets the shoulder of her dress soak with Hermione’s tears, stroking her back. There is little else she can do. What can you say to truly comfort a woman who lost her daughter and her son and the trust of her husband in one fell swoop?

Eventually, Hermione quietens down a little, and Paulina lies her back onto her bed, petting her hair and whispering soothing nothings. When Hermione dozes off a little, exhausted, Paulina stands. But she does not go far.

Normally, when she can only by the cottage for a short amount of time she brings food already prepared. Today, she has the opportunity to cook for the two of them herself.

She gets lost in it, cutting up vegetables and bringing them to the boil, throwing in herbs and spices and tasting her concoction to see how it’s going.

When Hermione suddenly appears behind her, she jolts a little, before turning round to face her.

Hermione’s tears have tried, though she still looks a little worse for wear. She is gazing at the cauldron of stew that is bubbling away over the fire, as if it is telling her the secrets of the universe. There is still sorrow written in the lines of her face, but she seems more at peace.

“How are you feeling?” Paulina asks, reaching up and tucking a lock of loose hair behind Hermione’s ear. The question diverts the queen’s attention back round to Paulina, and she smiles, if only a little. It’s more that Paulina could have expected, could have hoped for.

“Thank you,” is Hermione’s reply. It doesn’t really answer the question, but somehow it does all the same.

Hermione reaches her own hand out to cup Paulina’s face. Paulina feels herself start to blush. She is not pretty, she never was, even in her youth, and the tender look in Hermione’s eyes is everything she wanted, is more than she could ever have hoped for.

When Hermione leans over and presses a gentle kiss to her lips, she feels like she is about to burst.

They day may be sad, but at this moment, Paulina is as happy as she has been in a long, long time.


End file.
